THE TELEPHONE AS A PROMOTER OF SCIENCE

Scientific American, Vol. XXXIX. No. 6. [New Series.], August 10, 1878, by Various, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book here. THE TELEPHONE AS A PROMOTER OF SCIENCE.

THE TELEPHONE AS A PROMOTER OF SCIENCE.

Every new thing, whether it be in the realm of mind or matter, has an influence on whatever existed before, of a similar kind, to modify, develop, and improve it, or to doom it to oblivion. Whatever is new necessitates a better knowledge of the old, so that the world gains not only by the acquirement of the new thing, but also by a better understanding of things already known.

A discovery, published, sets a thousand minds at work, and immediately there is a host of experimentalists who, in their desire to make and try the new thing for themselves, begin without a knowledge of the science or art to which the discovery pertains, and inevitably fail. After failure comes research, which to be of value must be extended. Every investigator can recall the novelty that induced his first experiments, and can recount his trials in his search for information.

Among the inventions or discoveries that have induced extended experiment, the telephone may, without doubt, be mentioned as the chief, for no sooner was the first speaking telephone brought out than here and there all over the country it was imitated. Persons who never had the slightest knowledge of electrical science had a desire to see and test the telephone. To do this first of all requires a degree of mechanical skill. Acoustics must be understood, and a knowledge of the four branches of electrical science is requisite, as the telephone involves galvanism, magnetism, electrical resistance, induction, and many of the nicer points which can be understood by investigation only, and this not only in the direction indicated, but in the allied branches of physics and also in chemistry. Familiarity with these things develops a scientific taste that will not be easily satisfied. The characteristic avidity with which the American people seize upon a novelty has been wonderfully exemplified by the manner in which the telephone mania has spread. In consequence of this science has received an impetus,

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